Combined curb and snaffle bit.



G. JOHNSTON.

COMBINED CURB AND SNAPFLE BIT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1908.

1,014,881, Patented Jan.16,1912.

' witnesses 6W M 2 1 a M w WV gonna COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPI :0. WASHINGTON.n4

GORDON JOHNSTON, OF FORT RILEY, KANSAS.

COMBINED CURB AND SNAFFLE BIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 9, 1908.

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Serial No. 426,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Riley, in the State of Kansas, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Combined Curb and Snaflie Bits, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in bits which will combine theseparate actions of curb and snaflie bits in a simplified structure andin a manner calculated to give the rider the requisite control of hishorse under all conditions, and cause the bit to act with such free playunder snaflie action as to give what is termed a light mouth incontradistinction to a mouth which remains closed with the accompanyingtendency to lean on the bit, and under curb action to set itself rigidlyfor hearing down on the bars of the horses mouth while yet yieldingreadily to any relaxation of the tension on the reins and providingalways ample space under the bit for the horses tongue.

My improved bit comprises a single mouth-piece consisting of twocentrally joined sections connected to side bars having rings forsnaffle and curb reins and carrying the usual curb chain and lip strap.

The chieffeature of myinvention lies in :the fact that I obtain both asnaffle and curb action from a single jointed mouthpiece which is formedby two sections having a novel form of loose joint so that it will breakreadily and freely against a pull by the snafile reins, thereby giving aperfect snaffle action, but which, when turned in the horses mouth, asthe pull is transferred to the curb reins, will become rigid and,

' through the cooperation of the curb chain,

40 will bear down upon the bars of the horses mouth giving a downwardand powerful curbing action. In fact the two actions thus obtained arethe same as those of the two mouth-pieces of the bit and bridoon. Further, by my improved mannerof ointing the sections of the mouth-piecetogether, sufficient play is provided to cause these sec tions, inassuming a rigid or locked position against the pull of the curb reins,to cook or 5 stand at angles to each other, thereby providing a suitablespace for the tongue corresponding to the upward curve in the solid curbbars in general use, which keeps the horses tongue under the bit.

These and other features of importance constitute the subject matter ofmy invention, all of which are hereinafter more fully explained and areillustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 is a front view of the bit with theside bars turned outwardly to show their -mouth when under tension fromthe curb reins.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar part-s throughout thedrawings.

According to the drawings the bit is provided with the side bars 1 whichare of ordinary construction having upper and lower branches in onepiece with rings 2 to receive the curb reins 3, rings 4 to receive thesnaffle reins 5, upper loops 6 to receive the curb chain 7, and lowerloops 8 to receive the lip strap 9. The sections 10 and 11 of themouth-piece may be solidly or pivotally connected to the side barsintermediate the ends of the latter and opposite the snaffle rings 4:.The section 10 is flattened at its inner end and provided with anelongated slot or eye 12 which has its upper and lower walls inparallelism and which is adapted to receive a loop or ring 13 formingthe enlarged inner end of the section 11 of the mouth-piece. The loop 13on the section 11 stands in a plane with theline of pull from thesnaffle reins 5, while the slotted end of section 10 stands at rightangles to said plane and fits loosely in the eye 13 to permit a definiteplay for the purposes hereinafter described. From this construction itwill be seen that the two sections of the mouth-piece will break easilyand freely in the plane of the pull of the snaffle reins, thereby givinga perfect snaffle action. Obviously, however, as the pull is appliedfrom the curb reins, the mouth-piece will turn in the horses mouthrevolving on its own axis through an angle (proportioned to the slack orplay in the curb chain when adjusted) of between 45 and 90, as may beseen by a comparison of Figs. 2 and 4. As the mouth-piece revolves onits axis, it will be evident that the plane of the pull of the curb reinwill stand at a corresponding angle to the breaking plane of thesections of the mouth-piece and the latter therefore, instead ofbreaking freely in response to the pull, will, after the play allowed inthe joint has been taken up, assume a rigid or locked position as inFig. 5 and will function as if the mouth-piece were solid, except thatin assuming this rigid position the mouth-piece will yield to an upwardpressure from the horses tongue which will insure the sections thereofcocking sufficiently to provide ample space for the tongue under themouth-piece and avoid the very serious'disadvantage of pressing down onthe tongue or forcing the tongue from under the bit. hen the pull is onthe curb reins and the curb chain has been drawn taut against the underside of the jaw, the mouth-piece, assuming its locked position as inFig. :5, will bear down with great power upon the bars or gums of themouth of the horse, giving the necessary control and acting inidentically the same manner as the solid curb bit portions of the bitand bridoon.

It will be noted that as the sections 10 and 11 of the bit are rotatedfrom the snaffle to the curb position, they will have a tendency to cockslightly as a result of the play provided in the joint, this will causethe mouthpiece, in its rigid position, to slightly arch or be elevatedat the center so as to give the proper and desired room for the tongueof the horse. But for this locking, the mouthpiece under curb actionwould simply pinch together and bring the pressure more on the lip andoutside of the lower jaw, which is objectionable, also where a hingejoint connecting the mouth-piece is constructed to permit play only inthe plane of snaffle action, this turning of the mouth -piece wouldforce the joint outwardly and downwardly so that it would press upon thetongue instead of arching up, (see Fig. 5) to provide the predeterminedspace necessary for the tongue of the horse.

The lip strap 9 passes through a link of the curb chain 7 or someattachment on a strap, thus preventing the horse from taking the lowerbranch in his lips or teeth. The bit here specified offers the action ofsnaffle and curb bit, or hit and bridoon. When the snaffle reins areunder tension the mouth-piece is flexible and soft, the pressure beingdistributed over tongue, bar and lips, and so a horse may be guided,supported when stumbling or landing over a jump, and he may lean upon itwhen extended as in racing with as much comfort as is possible. Tocollect or control a horse the curb reins are brought into play, and inthe case of the bit, the mouth-piece becomes rigid and space is allowedfor the tongue, and so the pressure (with leverage) fallson the bars ofa horses mouth, the most sensitive part in it. The moment, however, thelower jaw yields or the tension on the reins is relaxed, the pressure isremoved and the bit becomes soft, which flexibility is one of the mostimportant features.

I do not desire to be limited to the particular manner of joining thebit sections inasmuch as the gist of my invention lies in the provisionof such a joining means as will cooperate with the rotation of the bitproduced by transferring the pull from the snaffle to the curb reins andenable a single jointed mouth-piece to serve with equal effectiveness asa freely breaking snaffle or a rigid curb bit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and-desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A bit comprising side bars, a mouth piece connecting said bars, saidmouth-piece comprising two sections, means integral with the mouth piecesections which interlock and join said sections together to provide afree play in one plane and a predetermined limited play in planes atangles to said first plane, and means for the connection of curb reinsand chain to said bit, substantially as described.

2. A combined snaffle and curb bit comprising a single mouth-pieceformed of two sections, and a joint connecting said sections and formedof interlocking parts integral with said sections which permit free playof the mouth piece in one plane and have portions which engage after apredetermined limited cocking thereof in other planes at angles to saidplane of free play and prevent further flexing in such other planes, andmeans for the operativeconnection with said bit of curb reins, snafliereins, and a curb chain, said snaffle reins being connected with theirplane of pull in said plane of free play, substantially as described.

3. A combined curb and snaffle bit comprising side bars having curbloops at the lower ends, snaflle loops at intermediate points, and loopsfor the curb chain at the top, a mouth-piece formed in two sectionsconnected to the side bars, means to flexibly join said mouth-piecesections together comprising a pair of interlocking loops in planes atright angles to each other, and shoulders on one of said loops whichengage a portion of the other loop and lock the mouthpiece against freeplay except in the plane of pull of the snaflle reins, said shoulder andportion engaging after a limited play or flexing of the mouth-piece inplanes at angles to the plane of pull of the snaffle rein.

4. A combined snaffle and curb bit comprising a single mouth-pieceformed of sections, one section having an eye and the other section aloop member formed integral therewith, side bars connected to saidmouthpiece and provided with connections for curb reins, snaffle reinsand a curb chain, said eye being disposed substantially at right anglesto the plane of pull of the snaffle reins, and having opposing surfacesbetween which the loop, when moving in the plane of pull of the snafflereins, works freely and which are spaced to engage and lock the loop,when it has swung through a predetermined angle in other planes undertension from the curb reins, to lock the bit sections in angularrelationship under curbing action.

5. A bit of the character described comprising a sectional mouth-pieceformed by jointed sections, one section having an integral loop memberand the other section provided with an integral eye member through whichthe loop passes, said eye having portions which engage the loop, when ittends to move in a plane at an angle to the plane of the loop itself,thereby rigidly setting and locking the mouth-piece sections at apredetermined angle, and means to connect reins to the outer ends of thebit sec tions, substantially as described.

6. A combined snaflie and curb bit comprising side bars, a sectionalmouth-piece connected to said bars, the sections of which mouth pieceare connected by a joint formed of a loop integral with one section andan eye integral with the other section disposed in a plane at rightangles to the plane of the loop and standing under snaffle action atright angles to the plane of pull of the snaflie reins, and said eyepermitting the loop to have free play therethrough in said plane of pulland having its upper and lower sides, between which the loop moves,spaced to receive said loop and permit the joint only a predeterminedlimited cocking play in planes in which said sections tend to flex whenthe pull thereon is applied from the lower ends of said side bars andmeans to connect curb reins, snaflie reins and a curb chain to saidbars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GORDON JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

EDWIN L. BRADFORD, JAMES T. HUNTER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

